Posted by: Fred on 5/13/2013 7:22:03 PM
Blocks in the East
We have 2 or three completed items in the pipeline, but our next substantial project will, in all probability, be a review of "Blocks in the East," a World War II game designed by Emanuele Santandrea and published by Ventonuovo Games of Milan in 2012. Think of it as East Front on steroids. It comes with a mounted map, about 300 blocks and a few dozen multi-colored status cubes. Its, obviously, a block game, but with hexes not the standard points. Its rules run only to about 8 pages for the basic game and another 10 pages or so in various advance features. I haven't played it as yet, but I've read the rules and at first sight it comes across as a solid addition to any grognard's library. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays.
Right now we have a copy of the game, a few of us have read the second edition rules and Harvey is working on getting a test game up and running.
However, there may be some delay in publishing it as we are in the process of switching our blogging platform. The one we use now requires us to spend way too much time coding HTML tags onto every paragraph, italics, illustration and heading etc., etc. The Observation Post items require much less work so there may be a few more sqeezed in before the change-over but the main articles each take hours to post and we just have to do something about that. When we do move, I'm hoping the most obvious change will be an increase in the number of articles published per month. But it will take us some time to get everything switched over. So stay turned.
Posted by: Fred on 5/3/2013 9:55:26 PM
The Road to Cheren from Revolution Games
From the publisher
"The road to Cheren is our new game covering the Eritrea campaign in East Africa in 1941. The campaign featured British and French forces versus the Italians in a wild and mountainous country. The game was designed by Kim Kanger who also designed Ici, c’est la France, Tonkin, and the soon to be released Dien Bien Phu, all by Legion Wargames.
Cheren is a game where the movement of each piece is critical. After movement your opponent may react but with only a few units, making player decisions difficult; do I go to the aid of a unit likely to be attacked or use my reaction to push troops forward in an area where I am on the offensive. After combat there is exploitation movement. Only motorized infantry, tanks and cavalry may exploit and are scarce in this campaign. In addition there is a very nice chit pull system to give both sides some special abilities and keep the enemy guessing as to what comes next. Finally some Italian native units may decide to join the Allies, or they may stay loyal, which creates extra tension in the game."
Posted by: Fred on 4/30/2013 10:32:36 PM
Dawn of the Zeds
From the publisher
3-26-2013
Dawn of the Zeds Erratum
1. In 3.1 (Tutorial Scenario), the last sentence to the Scenario Specific Rule has been changed:
“When Fate cards ([11.0], page 21) result in a Tunnel Track location, choose any other Track (i.e., “Player’s choice”).”
2. In 3.2 (Classic Nightmare Scenario), the last paragraph adds a new sentence: “When Fate cards ([11.0], page 21) result in a Tunnel Track location, choose any other Track (i.e., “Player’s choice”).”
3. In 6.2 (Z.E.D. Outbreak Procedure), #2 in the list, a new sentence has been added to the end of the paragraph: “If playing the Tutorial or Classic Scenario, when Fate cards result in a Tunnel Track location, choose any other Track.”
4. 9.2.3 Movement Restrictions, new bullet point added: “Carter may not enter the Tunnel Track at any time.”
5. Carter’s Hero card, red text at the top changed: “This Hero never leaves his Truck, and so he cannot enter the Tunnel Track at any time.”
6. Event card #20 – Space Artifact Found – event text tweaked: “...If it is brought back to the Town Center, increase the Research Level by two (+2), or by three (+3) if there is a Science Hero currently on the map (but not in the Hospital).”
Posted by: Fred on 4/29/2013 1:13:52 PM
Lincoln's War
With 3 days to go Lincoln's War has met its goal on Kickstarter and should be published in time for the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg this July.
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1573479789/lincolns-war-a-historical-board-wargame
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 4/16/2013 10:11:29 AM
Grognard Simulations Releases Incredible Courage at Elchingen
Grognard Simulations is proud to announce that Incredible Courage at Elchingen is now released.
Incredible Courage at Elchingen provides you with the perfect introduction to the Incredible Courage game system. It is a small one mapper with a Corps of troops on each side, and this lends itself perfectly to see how well the system portrays combat at the company and squadron level in this time period. The map features were put together by Rick Barber.
The game system features variable strength combat values, 10 minute turns, 100 meter hexes, the ability to make and use formations in a more realistic manner, Battalion level units in lieu of Company sized ones, dispatch riders, orders, ammunition shortages, and much, much, more.
Units are modeled at the company and squadron level and have Line formation on the fronts and Column formation shown on the backs.
French Unit Fronts – Line/In Battery
French Unit Backs – Column/Out of Battery
Napoleon faces a Corps of Austrians under the command of General Reisch positioned on the northern bank of the Danube River and potentially blocking the French Line of Communications back to France. Napoleon instructs Marshall Ney to advance across the river and defeat the Austrians.
Thankfully for the French the Austrian leadership is pitiful during this battle. The plan was to stay put on the ridgeline and defend the 2 closely related towns of Ober Elchingen and Unter Elchingen. The Austrian commanders fail to ensure the Danube crossing is heavily defended. Once the French are across the river they move like lightning to hammer each of the 3 separate wings of the Austrian Corps in detail.
Price for this game is: $65
It can be purchased at the GSI Web Store at the following url:
http://www.grognardsims.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=35
Posted by: Fred on 4/6/2013 10:22:06 PM
Lincoln's War by John Poniske - from Kickstarter
From the Publisher:
".....In Lincoln's War, the battlefield is an extension of the political arena. More than 150 historical movers and shakers support or oppose Davis and Lincolns’ conduct of the war. Each card's activation number can goose a general into action, or be banked as political currency (PCs), used to promote worthy commanders, purchase war material, restore confidence or be translated into direct support for commanders in the field. Driving an opponent to 0 PCs may bring on auto-victory, but most games rely on a variety of geographical objectives.
Unique features include an original combat system, seditious characters, immobilization (commander paralysis), the Lincoln Assassination plot, a fresh approach to campaign cards, blockade rules and Confederate commerce raiding. The combat system does not employ dice, but does require the player to husband resources in the form of Congressional support..."
"...Lincoln’s War is a seven turn game. Each turn is called a campaign season. The game begins with the summer 1861 outbreak of war and continues through the summer of 1864. The premise of Lincoln’s War is that by the Fall of 1864 it is assumed that Lincoln’s reelection would be based on the North’s military and political position by the end of the final turn. Each season follows seven distinct phases.
In the Initiative Phase the player with the greater political Influence chooses who goes first in each of the coming phases. This is followed by the Administration Phase in which both sides purchase assets, promote their generals and eke out Congressional support again based on their political influence. When available, draft promotions and reinforcements enter at this time.
The Naval Phase follows. This is where players conduct riverine and sea movement, moving fleets, raiders and Naval Assets, determine blockade effects and conduct raid and chase operations. The Rail Phase comes next, allowing players to shift a limited number of Leader Stars anywhere along their country’s rail net. This ability starts with the parity of unpreparedness but quickly reveals to players the overwhelming US capability to reposition its troops.
The Operations Phase is the heart of the game. Here, players use operations cards as political advice to hamper the enemy, bank political good will, goad their generals into moving, conduct combat or stiffen the defense of generals under attack. Battle is joined here using a truly unique combat system, often dice-less except for those erratic generals you just can’t count on. Here also the Southern player has the option to use the Assassination Card IF the South has lost a significant amount of territory. If the assassination is successful the Union player may opt to reciprocate by purchasing the same card and returning the favor. This is where players employ Campaign cards. Such cards are used in a number of card-driven games, but Lincoln’s War campaign cards offer players a fresh approach as they are geographic and chosen openly. This offers an opponent immediate knowledge of a military buildup. The phase ends with the Eastern Theater Penalty reflecting Lincoln’s insistence that action be taken in the East every campaign season or the North suffers political loss of face.
Out of Supply!
When the last card has been played or saved, the Supply Phase begins. Players determine units are out of supply, out of supply markers are placed and players draw cards to search for forage. Wounds are removed as are unused Congressional Supply Points (This is one of my favorite mechanics – Congress will happily give you support but if you don’t use it, you lose it) Finally, Commanding Officers who have truly taken a beating are demoted.
The final Phase of the game is Timekeeping. Here players determine if one or the other has won by driving the other to “0” political influence. If not, the turn marker is moved ahead and the sequence of play repeats...."
Resources:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1573479789/lincolns-war-a-historical-board-wargame
Posted by: Fred on 3/29/2013 11:41:22 AM
The General Magazine - Every issue now online - free
"The General (1964–1998) was a bi-monthly periodical devoted to supporting Avalon Hill's line of wargames, with articles on game tactics, history, and industry news. It was the first professionally produced wargaming magazine for the nascent cardboard and hex-map wargaming hobby. Over the years the magazine was variously called The Avalon Hill General, Avalon Hill's General, The General Magazine, or simply General. With the sale of Avalon Hill to Hasbro in 1998 the magazine ceased. Its unofficial heir was Operations Magazine published by Multi-Man Publishing to support the line of Avalon Hill games that remained in print, but that too went out of print in 2010, replaced by Special Ops magazine in 2011."
"When the first issue was published, wargaming in the modern recreational sense was still in its infancy, and The Avalon Hill Game Company had been producing wargames for a mass market for only five years. It was the first professionally produced wargaming magazine ever published for the nascent cardboard and hex-map wargaming hobby."
",,,,,,The General ceased publication in the wake of the Avalon Hill buyout by Hasbro in 1998. The last issue was Volume 32, Number 3. Hasbro briefly toyed with the idea of having another of its subsidiaries, Wizards of the Coast, operate the magazine, but couldn't make a business case for it before Tucker moved on to become the editor of C3i magazine for GMT Games."
Resources:
http://archive.org/details/general_magazine
http://boardgamegeek.com/thread/953570/the-general-for-download/page/2
The General's Index
http://boardgamegeek.com/wiki/page/The_General_Index
Posted by: Fred on 3/28/2013 10:01:44 PM
Enter the world of Myth. A fully cooperative fantasy game, featuring dynamic hobby quality miniatures.
From the Publisher
Myth is a cooperative game for 2 to 5 players developed and published by MERCS Miniatures. A complete game in Myth is called a Story. Each Story is played over three Acts. Acts can be played sequentially, or can be split up over three different game sessions. Each Act lasts 2 hours.
Players' avatars within a Story are called Heroes. Myth Heroes are clothed in immense power, able to reave all but the mightiest foes. However, this power must be balanced lest the Darkness take too much notice. Players must weigh their actions against the Threat each will bring, with the consequences of awakening more evil and bringing doom on the party's endeavors. And be careful they must, as the Darkness is formidable and eager to snatch glory from the valiant.
Heroes are controlled through an intuitive Hero Deck (videos for each Hero can be found in the Game Play Videos section “on Kickstarter”). Each deck plays uniquely and allows players more freedom of action and the ability to truly impact the Story each and every Act. Yet, cooperation is the key to victory and bloody fortune. Players must communicate, interact, and assist each other or surely the Darkness will cover all.
Myth is a fully cooperative game. There is no player controlling the Darkness. The Darkness is governed by a set of rules unique to each Boss Deck. Yet, the Darkness is activated through Hero actions. If the Heroes get overzealous, then the Darkness pushes back by activating Lairs, spawning Captains, and punishing the Heroes with devious Events. If the Heroes take a more subtle approach, then the Darkness reacts by reducing the potential for treasure and rewards. Without the treasures and equipment to upgrade, the Heroes will find each Act more difficult and eventually fail. The dynamic nature of the Darkness really lends a more fluid feel to the Story. Players aren't being driven by properties out of their control, nor are they being shepherded by a person whose skill has a direct impact on the enjoyment of the game.
Resources:
http://www.chrisdoughmandesign.com/blog/post.php?idpost=8
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1700755582/myth-0
Posted by: Fred on 3/28/2013 9:44:34 PM
Lincoln's War now on Kickstarter
From the publisher
Greetings!
We just wanted to send out a quick note letting you know MMP has started its first Kickstarter campaign! The game we are offering on Kickstarter is John Poniske's Lincoln's War! Please ..... check out the various rewards and stretch goals that you can get while pledging to support this fine game!
Please support John Poniske's LINCOLN'S WAR!
If you had Lincoln's War on preorder PLEASE READ THIS!
We have closed out and deleted the preorder information for Lincoln's War as we wanted to minimize the confusion over multiple methods of ordering this game. The $70 Kickstarter reward includes US shipping and gets you a few other goodies all for roughly the same price as the previous preorder price. We are sorry about the extra efforts required but hope you continue to show support and pledge this fine game!
Multi-Man Publishing
Posted by: Fred on 3/10/2013 7:45:14 AM
The Admiralty Trilogy from Clash of Arms
From the publisher:
The Admiralty Trilogy is Clash of Arms' family of related simulations that covers tactical naval warfare in the 20th century. This three-time-award winning family includes Fear God & Dread Nought, Command at Sea and Harpoon. These three war games form the critical foundation upon which numerous supplements and a bi-annual magazine, The Naval SITREP, are designed and supported.
The principle goal of the Admiralty Trilogy is to faithfully illustrate how naval warfare has developed over the past 100 years in a complete, easy to use miniatures combat system. By providing a common game structure with accurate systems data, the trilogy allows a player to experience naval history as never before!
....The Admiralty Trilogy is more than just a series of games. They are an accurate simulation of the last 100 years of naval warfare. The combat models that make up the heart of the trilogy are based on accurate technical data combined with extensive engineering and operational analysis. Tactics that were successful throughout history will also work in the games.
Drawing on extensive war gaming, technical, and naval experience, the designers of the Admiralty Trilogy have accurately captured the feel and flavor of commanding a ship which intentionally sails into "harm's way". Are you ready to accept command? If so join us as we seek a willing foe and sea room to maneuver.
Posted by: Fred on 3/9/2013 6:54:23 AM
Mein Zombies to be published by Old Dominion GameWorks
From the publisher:
Mein Zombies is a fun, fast entertaining game where you kill Zombies! Designed and played in 28mm scale, Mein Zombies allows every player to be a "Hero Survivor." The game plays without a Game Master.
The Hero's best plans are thrown into confusion through Random Event, scenario objectives and new Zombie placement. Players have the option to run a pre-generated character or "gen" their own characters giving them unique skills based on strength, speed, stamina, and other human traits. Your character is then armed with a variety of melee and range weapons such as a lead pipe or a M40 sniper rifle!
Mein Zombies is currently in the final stages of playtesting and production. We hope to have it available for sale in the next several months.
Posted by: Fred on 3/9/2013 12:06:24 AM
All Quiet on the Martian Front from Alien Dungeon now on Kickstarter
An Apocalyptic Struggle Against Invaders From Mars
"All Quiet on the Martian Front is a 15 mm scale Battle Sci-Fi Game that plays out the Second Martian War, It is designed to scale seamlessly from small battles to epic confrontations .
Set in the beginning of the second decade of the Twentieth Century, All Quiet on the Martian Front breaths new life into Classic Earth Invasions.
The All Quiet on the Martian Front Starter Set comes with everything you need to play right out of the box. It includes core rules, all necessary markers, scenarios, and lots of Earth and Martian Forces in miniature.
Humanity uses World War One era - like tanks and guns, plus technology from Earth's visionary super- minds- Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Marconi, Tesla, and others to defend Earth from Martian Invaders. The Martians use advanced war machines, human cadaver slaves, gas warfare, and worse to eliminate all Humanity from the Earth. It's Tanks vs. Tripods, Big guns vs. Heat Rays, across the tattered and entrenched landscape of 1910 America."
Kickstater
WWW. MARTIANFRONT.com
Posted by: Fred on 3/8/2013 11:32:04 PM
Winged Hussar Publishing, LLC
From the publisher:
Winged Hussar Publishing, LLC publishes books and resources for people interested in both military history and tactics, with an emphasis on eastern Europe in general and Poland in particular.
In addition to our classics of the ancient world, you can also expect hard-to-find reprints and originals on subjects that include Eastern Europe in the 19th century, American Civil War, and Europe in the 17th century.
Our goal is to make difficult to find and out-of-print books and resources available in a variety of formats for students, enthusiasts and researchers.
WWW.Wingedhussarpublishing.com
Posted by: Fred on 3/8/2013 11:13:19 PM
High Flying Dice Games announces Zhukov's Final Victory and Konev's Gambit are now available in DTP format.
"What's DTP stand for you say? Desk Top Published materials are produced directly from computers, using quality software and printers - no need to take unnecessary risks with doing a large print run or even pay for the printer's overhead - you want one, I print one.
So, High Flying Dice Games is primarily a desktop publishing house, our games providing hours of enjoyment in return for your providing some sweat equity when it comes to mounting and cutting out the counters. Yes, you have to spend a wee bit of time for the best results (or you can pay a bit extra (and) get the pieces mounted for you - more on that later).
Our games are always fun, always educational ...., and best of all easy on the wallet.
Zhukov's Final Victory is a low complexity level, two-player war game on the battle for the capital of Nazi Germany, Berlin. in mid-April of 1945, Marshall Zhukov's 1st Byelorussian Front was poised and armed like a dagger at the "Heart of the Fascist Beast" the city of Berlin, capital of Nazi Germany.
Konev's Gambit is an expansion game for Zhukov's Final Victory that extends play to include the offensive by Marshall Konev's 1st Ukrainian Front to take Berlin. Konev's Gambit is suited for two players, as well as solitaire play.
Both games combined allows for three players as participants to take on the roles of the German Army and the two Soviet Front commanders. The Soviet players will be seeking to not only defeat their German opponent, but see who can be the first to capture Berlin. Looming over all players is the will of the supreme commanders on both sides: Hitler and Stalin.
Comes complete with two 11" x 17" maps, 120 full color counters (double sided), 12 random event cards, and 10 pages of rules. graphics by BruceYearian. 17.95 plus shipping."
Posted by: Fred on 3/8/2013 10:37:37 PM
Schutze Games to release First Strike ' 62 and Struggle for New France
"The Battle for New France is an introductory level point to point movement war game covering the Seven Years War (1754-1762), focusing on events occurring in North America as a grand campaign game.
Players take on the role of either the governor of New France or the British American colonies as they struggle to conduct a war with the limited resources available and unpredictable support both locally and from home as determined by their separate decks of 31 event cards.
Players actions will decide whether the American colonies are forced to cease their relentless expansion into the French trading areas or if history repeats itself and New France becomes the provinces of Quebec under British domination."
Posted by: Fred on 3/6/2013 10:59:07 AM
Upcoming articles on The Boardgaming Life
As of today our schedule is the following:
Articles in the pipeline:
1. Borodino. 1812 in-depth review
2. Games of Thrones, a review
3. Merchants and Marauders, a review
4. Nexus Ops, a review
Articles being worked on:
1. Advanced tatics for Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage
Articles on the horizon or being considered for publication:
1. Dawn of the Zeds - Second Edition a review
2. Blocks in the East - a review
Posted by: Fred on 2/24/2013 6:04:25 PM
Duel of Eagles Errata and Clarifications From Hermann Luttmann
Hey all! I hope you're enjoying the game. The reviews have been very positive so far and I'm really thrilled. Thanks for your support. Here's a comprehensive list of things that may need clarifying and couple of small errors.
1) In the Comprehensive Example of Play, I erroneously stated at the end of the example that the French 1/1/II unit that gets retreated out of Flavigny receives a “Shaken” marker for losing the Assault combat. Since it already had a “Shaken” marker when it was beaten, it would not receive a second one (units can’t get two “Shaken” markers).
2) In the Important Points to Remember portion, the wording I used for the Recovery description (involving removing “Low Ammo” and “Shaken” markers) may have left the impression that you could not remove both from the same unit. You can remove one “Low Ammo” and one “Shaken” marker from a single unit but only if those are the only two markers removed in the entire Corps.
3) The Road Bonus only allows a unit to move at twice its speed – not quadruple. The Terrain Effects Chart stating that the Road Bonus is ½ MP per hex is simply a restatement (in a different manner) of the double speed effect. It is not in addition to the doubling of the Movement Allowance. Also, the Road Bonus is still applied when moving through another unit. In addition, Charging Cavalry cannot use the Road Bonus during its Charge move.
4) All movement along a Road or Roman Road cancels any Steep Slope hex side penalty. This means that when moving from a Road / Roman Road hex to another (and not using the Road Bonus), it always costs one MP regardless of terrain hex sides.
5) The “Bazaine’s Malaise” Event chit can be played on any eligible formation that still has an Activation chit in the cup, including reinforcements that are to enter that turn.
6) The “Feu de Bataillon” Fire Combat modifier applies to all fire, including artillery.
7) To clarify a fine distinction with Opportunity Fire and halting enemy movement when temporarily stacked with another unit. Rule [7.1] refers to all Opportunity Fire where that situation could occur, meaning non-Defensive Fire Opportunity Fire (in other words, Event Chits like “Krupp's Guns”, “Beaten Zone”, etc.). Rule [12.3] refers only to Defensive Opportunity Fire and in that rare case where an enemy unit is already adjacent to your unit (and thus "in its face") and another enemy unit moves through its space to continue moving onward. In that case, it's assumed that the moving enemy unit would be able to shield itself behind the stationary unit (since it is so close to your unit).
8 ) A “passed” MT result is treated as a No Effect result and thus will not halt a moving unit receiving Opportunity Fire.
9) An Overrun HQ retires to any friendly unit, regardless of formation.
10) A Charging Cavalry unit does not have to have an LOS to its intended target.
Thanks and let me know if any of you have any other questions. Hermann
Posted by: Fred on 2/24/2013 12:07:36 AM
Napoleon - New 4th Edition Coming Soon via Kickstarter and Columbia Games
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NAPOLEON - NEW 4th Ed. Coming soon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The 200th anniversary of Waterloo occurs in June 2015 and we think the time has come to produce a new 4th edition of this great game.
We need your support to make it something very special.
Launching on Kickstarter this coming Monday!
The 4th edition of Napoléon will contain the following upgrades from previous editions:
Deluxe Mounted Mapboard, 22" x 25".
Large 24mm hardwood blocks.
Two color copies of the rules per game. Both copies will be signed and numbered.
Napoleon 4 beta rules available. Feedback welcome.
Larger tactical maps.
Two color Order of Battle Charts. The Order of Battle is similar to that found in the first edition.
8 quality dice (4 red and 4 blue).
IMPORTANT: most upgrades are for the Kickstarter version only. Copies of the game produced for later sale will not have the deluxe mounted map, signed extra rules, or extra dice.
Napoléon is a strategy game for two or three players that simulates the Waterloo Campaign. The time is June 15th, 1815. A French army commanded by the great Napoléon is ready to invade the Southern Nederlands (now Belgium) where two Allied armies, one Anglo-Dutch led by the Duke of Wellington, and one Prussian led by Marshal Blücher are gathering strength to invade France. The French are concentrated and have the early advantage, but the Allies, if they can unite, are stronger.
Napoléon was first published in 1974 by Gamma Two Games, a Canadian company located in Vancouver, B.C. That edition sold out twice. In 1977, the game was licensed to Avalon-Hill of Baltimore, and they produced a 2nd edition. Later, after Avalon-Hill had gone to wargame heaven, Columbia Games published a 3rd edition. This too had several printings and recently sold out once more.
Napoléon is an elegant simulation of one of history's greatest military campaigns. It has always been a fun, addictive game that you will want to play over and over. Please support a new five-star edition of this timeless classic.
Posted by: Fred on 2/22/2013 2:35:00 PM
Victory Point Games New Release Schedule
Zulus on the Ramparts! app now in iPad and iPhone!
THE BATTLE OF RORKE'S DRIFT
ZULUS ON THE RAMPARTS! is the battle cry of those defending the Mission Station at Rorke’s Drift. It is 22 January 1879, and the British invasion column moving into Zululand was disastrously defeated that morning at nearby Isandlwana. Now, fresh troops from the victorious Zulu iMpi (army) are advancing on your position. With your 140 British soldiers and auxiliaries, you must survive the repeated attacks of 4000+ crack Zulu warriors.
http://victorypointgames.com/details.php?prodId=231
Available NOW on the iPad and iPhone!
DAWN OF THE ZEDS SECOND EDITION UNLEASHED!
THE BATTLE FOR FARMINGDALE
She looked at the crumpled heap of a man clutching her legs and sobbing. “I tell…tell you…” he whispered between his sobs. “It’s eating my…my… brain!” He let go of her legs and gripped his head in his hands, letting loose with an unearthly wail.
She heard more gunfire and glanced away from the pathetic figure, looking around the town square. Across the fountain from her, she could see the trucker Brian Carter unloading supplies from his eighteen-wheeler while nearby Mayor Hernandez and the army engineer, Colonel Kingman, directed the placement of barricades. The gunshots, she realized, were coming from the clock tower where Captain Piazza was carefully aiming and firing her sniper rifle. If we can’t stop the Zeds here, she thought, all our brains will be food. She turned her attention back to the man in front of her and knelt down.
“There’s no Zeds here, Wilson,” she said, kneeling and pulling his hands away from his face, forcing him to look at her. His eyes were crazed with fear and pain.
“No,” he sobbed. “Not…not here, you fool.” He jerked his hands away, slapping the ground with one of them. “Down there! Under us. The Zed’s under us, and it’s eating my brain!”
Arising once more from the depths, from designer Hermann Luttmann, Dawn of the Zeds Second Edition has finally been reborn. In this States of Siege™ solitaire game of horror and survival, a deadly virus has turned ordinary people into vicious, zombie-like killers. The undead, nicknamed "Zeds," are now converging on your corner of the world. You have been left to your own devices to stop them while the National Guard organizes a relief column and fights its way to you – but that could take days, or even weeks, before they arrive.
In a game that requires the utmost test of skill and nerve, will you survive long enough? Will you be able to fight hordes of Zeds while protecting the townspeople? Test your heroics and unearth Dawn of the Zeds, a game that will keep you on your toes!
THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND NOW AVAILABLE!
THE UGANDA-TANZANIA WAR, 1978-1979
The modern wars in Africa provide a rich arena of different and unique gaming situations beyond WWII in North Africa (where most wargames have concentrated their examination of wars in Africa). Some of these wars were short affairs of a few months, while others raged for twenty years or more. Each of these modern African wars shaped the political and military future of the continent and they are still finding their way into today’s headlines.
The African Wars series provides a means for understanding these wars that shaped modern Africa and current world opinion.
The Last King of Scotland, the first in the African Wars series by designer Dennis Bishop, simulates the Uganda-Tanzania War of 1978 - 1979 that ousted Uganda's President for Life, Idi Amin Dada. With a seeming fascination for all things Scottish, Idi Amin referred to himself as the “uncrownedking of Scotland”. When Amin fled Uganda, in a sense he truly became "The Last King of Scotland."
Posted by: Fred on 2/12/2013 12:58:38 PM
GMT Update on their DoS attack
"This update is mostly to make sure that everyone has the latest information about the GMT website being down and details about how to contact us and status of your orders and shipments.
First off, for those of you who haven't seen our notices online, here are the basics on what happened and what's going on with the GMT website:
----------
Late Friday afternoon, there was a massive and malicious Denial of Service (DoS) attack against the GMT website that was pervasive and powerful enough to bring down all of our ISP's servers. We couldn't get any information from our ISP over the weekend, and we assumed that the attack was against them or one of their larger customers and that we just went down with everyone else.
Well, we received some stunning news Monday morning when we finally heard from our ISP, and they made it clear to us that WE were the lone target of the massive DOS attack that brought all their servers down! .....
So, the GMT website is currently down. We are in the process of talking with several ISPs that have more sophisticated hardware to protect against such attacks, and have already added some software to our site to defend ourselves as well. I don't know exactly what to tell you yet on timing of us bringing the site back up, but I would GUESS somewhere in the 3-10 day timeframe. We're sorry for the inconvenience, but we want to make darn sure when we bring the site back up that we are well-protected against any potential recurrence of the problem.
-------
The good news for our customers here is that it was only a DoS attack, not something where the bad guys got into customer data. So please don't worry about the security of your data; it is safe.
We have reported this attack to the authorities, and I spent part of my day yesterday talking with the FBI, so please understand that we can't give you more detail about this attack while there is an ongoing investigation. The only really important news here is a) your data is fine, and b) the GMT website and e-mail servers are down for the near future...."
"Temporary Office E-Mail Address. We have set up a temporary e-mail address for the office ladies that you guys can use to contact them while our gmt mailserver is down. That address is gmtoffice5@yahoo.com . Please use this address for contacts with them until further notice. Thanks!
Orders. Obviously, web-ordering is down until the site is back up. Our office ladies are still ready to take your orders, though, as always! Just call 800-523-6111 or e-mail to gmtoffice5@yahoo.com and they'll fix you up...."
Posted by: Fred on 2/9/2013 4:45:16 PM
Space Marines vs. Lawyers
From MCA Hogarth's blog
In the Future, All Space Marines Will Be Warhammer 40K Space Marines
"...In mid-December, Games Workshop told Amazon that I’d infringed on the trademark they’ve claimed for the term “space marine” by titling my original fiction novel Spots the Space Marine. In response, Amazon blocked the e-book from sale [original post and update]. Since then, I’ve been in discussion with Games Workshop, and following their responses, with several lawyers...."
Update! Spots the Space Marine has been reinstated!
http://mcahogarth.org/
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From John Scalzi's blog
Space Marines and the Battle of Tradem Ark
"...Today’s thing people in e-mail are clamoring for me to comment about: This, in which the sale of a self-published book by M.C.A. Hogarth was blocked from sale on Amazon after Games Workshop complained that it violated its trademark for the term “space marines.” If the linked post above is at all accurate, apparently Games Workshop, which uses the term “space marines” in its Warhammer 40,000 games and has a trademark in that area, has branched out into handling its own ebooks and therefore believes that trademark carries over into the literary world as well.
I am not a lawyer, so factor that in here. That said: Games Workshop, really?..."
http://whatever.scalzi.com/
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Fred: This whole thing reminds me of a very similar story involving GW and the game Princess Ryan's Space Marines. I was told GW lost the court case.
Posted by: Fred on 2/7/2013 6:32:53 PM
Guns of Gettysburg
Mercury Games in cooperation with Simmons Games, announces the release of The Guns of Gettysburg in an 150th Anniversary Deluxe Edition. Carrying on the lineage of the two previous games in the series, Bonaparte at Marengo and Napoleon's Triumph, The Guns of Gettysburg allows players to test their courage and skill against their historical counterparts, inviting them to step into the most decisive battle of the American Civil War. Scheduled to ship in April 2013.
Posted by: Fred on 1/19/2013 10:03:51 PM
Revolution Games January Update
In 2013, we are planning to produce a minimum of 3 more titles. Our philosophy is to produce games we would play ourselves which means no P500 or years to wait for a title to be produced. In that spirit here are our plans for this year.
The Road to Cheren is our new game covering the Eritrea campaign in East Africa in 1941. The campaign featured British and French forces versus the Italians in a wild and mountainous country. The game was designed by Kim Kanger who also designed Ici, c’est la France, Tonkin, and the soon to be released Dien Bein Pho, all by Legion Wargames. Cheren is a game where the movement of each piece is critical. After movement your opponent may react but with only a few units, making player decisions difficult; do I go to the aid of a unit likely to be attacked or use my reaction to push troops forward in an area where I am on the offensive. After combat there is exploitation movement. Only motorized infantry, tanks and cavalry may exploit and are scarce in this campaign. In addition there is a very nice chit pull system to give both sides some special abilities and keep the enemy guessing as to what comes next. Finally some Italian native units may decide to join the Allies, or they may stay loyal, which creates extra tension in the game. The game has an 11 x 17 map, 113 counters, and an eight page rule book. Estimated play time of 3 to 4 hours. Cheren will be sold in a ziplock bag for $19 plus shipping, available March 2013.
Gazala: The Cauldron will focus on the mobile portions of the battle of Gazala in 1942. It will use the basic rules system of our Celles game with a few changes for the differences of terrain and period. The map scale is 1 mile per hex and the units are battalions. Formations will be activated by chit pull but many chits allow a player a choice of formation, especially on the Axis side. Allied infantry will be mostly static trying to restrict the Axis supply and movement while the Allied armor fights it out with the Axis mobile forces. Units will be rated for attack and defense against armored and soft targets. Minefields effect, movement, supply and combat and the breaching of them is a key to Axis victory. Plus some special Tactical chits for weather, airpower and of course, Rommel. The game has a 17 x 22 map, 176 counters, and a 12 page rulebook. Estimated play time of 3 to 4 hours. Gazala: The Cauldron will be sold in a ziplock bag for $29 plus shipping, available July 2013.
Washington's Crossing Expansion - 1778: The Monmouth Campaign. This game will simulate the campaign in New Jersey in 1778. The game will be a module played on the map of our previous game; Washington’s Crossing, so ownership of that game is required. The game will include new counters, leader displays, charts and exclusive rules while maintaining the basic rules of Washington’s Crossing. Exact components and price have not yet been determined for this game but we hope to have it available November 2013.
Posted by: Fred on 12/22/2012 3:19:04 PM
Lock 'N Load Publishing
2012 Release Titles:
Space Infantry
Command a team of armored troopers against a variety of enemies, aliens and human, in this solitaire game.
In Defeat, Defiance
An expansion to Heroes of the Blitzkrieg, IDD brings the British Expeditionary Force into the fight for France in 1940. Fight the battles that defined the German blitzkrieg with the award-winning Lock 'n Load game system.
Warparty
It's Axis and Allies meets Dungeons and Dragons. Larry Bogucki's epic fantasy-strategy game pits humans and dwarves against goblins and the undead. Build, research, fight, and conquer.
All Things Zombie
Guns, girls, and the walking dead. Its all about real life in an unreal world.
Heart of Darkness
The boxed expansion to the popular Nuklear Winter '68. NW68HD introduces the Characters, individuals with unique backgrounds and motivations, employing powerful skills, capable of further boosting the effectiveness of the platoons they're attached to.....
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 12/11/2012 7:04:26 PM
Grognard Simulations Announces New Location
Grognard Simulations announces that they are moving to the Orlando, Florida area during the months of December and January. Here is what you should expect.
Service: Many of you have experienced a virtually instant response but they will necessarily be answering weekday phone calls and emails during the early morning, or more likely early evening hours. Weekend responses will remain the same, very quick.
Web Store and Orders will continue to be processed during the transition. It may be up to 4 weeks before orders are properly processed as inventory may still be in transit.
Game Pre-Orders and Release Schedule: The current release schedule remains in effect and will not change. Pre-order coupons are made available when the game will be published. Current projected releases are still on target for completion on schedule.
Incredible Courage at Elchingen and Armored Knights – Guderian Crosses the Desna are scheduled for release in 2013,
Death Ride Kursk – Totenkopf/Leibstandardt/Das Reich are all scheduled for release in 2014.
The 4 Incredible Courage 100 Days games are scheduled for 2015. Coupons for the 100 Days games will be coming out soon.
Game Availability: GSI is preparing some additional inventory for the arrival in Florida, but there may be some items that take a short time to re-stock. They will keep some update messages on the landing page of their website with information about where in the process they are.
www.grognardsims.com
If there are any questions during the transition period you can contact them at info@grognardsims.com for specific responses. They will be back up and running as soon and smoothly as possible.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 11/25/2012 1:15:19 PM
Grognard Simulations Announces Release of New Games During Thanksgiving Week.
Armored Knights North Afrika – Operation Venezia
Will contain 9 scenarios, some small, some large, specifically related to the Gazala battles that led to the Fall of Tobruk. There’s even a Battleaxe scenario. For both sides the forces in this battle are very strong at the outset. The British Tank Brigades have Grants and the Axis Panzer Battalions have been up gunned. The game system provides a mountain of re-playability given the variable strength and die roll modifier tables. It will always keep you guessing and your opponent will never be able to cherry pick units for that perfect attack, or defense.
Price is $60 and can be purchased at www.grognardsims.com - Armored Knights game order page.
Death Ride Kursk – Command and Control and Fire Support Enhancement
This is one huge enhancement for the Death Ride Kursk series. For those who want the ultimate in Command and Control this package delivers you plenty of detail and anxiety (in planning anyway). Combat units had different radio sets in them. This package reflects those different radio sets. This package also considers Radio Line of Sight. Have trees, towns, and hills between HQs and they might have a problem communicating with each other. HQs now have initiative ratings for when they lose communications. They can Freeze in place, be forced to Attack, or hopefully do what you asked them to do. Their transmissions can now be monitored, located, and intercepted. Be wary of where you place your signal unit as the transmissions are generated from there and when located, watch out! There are also optional Tiger tanks that could have been at the battle, new markers to help with movement and firing accounting, and Task Organization Charts that will give you the flexibility to organize down to the company level for the Germans and Battalion level for the Russians. And if that isn’t enough you will get Fire Support Mission markers to depict Direct and General Support, and Reinforcing elements. Oh, and Smoke!
Price is $70 and can be ordered at www.grognardsims.com Death Ride Kursk - game order page.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 11/25/2012 1:08:49 PM
Columbia Games Releases Borodino 1812
Columbia Games is proud to release its new block game on the climactic battle of Borodino which occurred during Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Borodino designer, Carl Willner has been to the Borodino battlefield twice, most recently in 2012 for the 200th anniversary re-enactment.
Borodino was fought between the Army of Imperial Russia and Napoléon's Grand Armée on September 7, 1812. The battle ended with a French victory, but strategic defeat. Losses were terrible on both sides, but the Russians could replace theirs. One week after the battle Napoléon occupied an undefended Moscow, hoping to impose a peace, but after four weeks was forced to retreat home with calamitous results.
The historical battle involved wave after wave of frontal attacks by both sides, focusing on the Russian redoubts. However, the game will show all the options available to Napoléon and Kutuzov, including some not attempted historically. The French player has several possible lines of attack and the Russian player must try to anticipate and counter them all. The tactical interaction of Napoléonic infantry, cavalry and artillery is also emphasized, including cavalry charges and squares. This makes for exciting and tense gaming.
Movement and combat are resolved within areas. The game plays using the fast-paced Move-Move-Battle sequence seen in Shiloh. Players activate leaders to command divisions of the same corps. Game time is 3-4 hours.
CONTENTS
* 103 wooden blocks
* Labels
* Mapboard
* Rules 1.02 (PDF 4 megs)
* Orders of Battle
* 4 Dice
Borodino 1812 sells for $69.98.
Order this product at: www.columbiagames.com - Borodino 1812 order page .
Posted by: Mark D. on 11/24/2012 8:21:15 PM
"1775 Rebellion" - New Academy Games Project on KickStarter!
Support the latest Academy Games Kickstarter Project!
Help them drive their newest title, 1775 Rebellion, across the finish line!
Academy Games are offering '1775 - Rebellion' on Kickstarter and ask for your support. By donating to the campaign and reaching the stretch goals, they will be able to increase and improve the game's contents, including a premium plastic sorting tray, custom molded dice, wooden nation flag markers, and much more. In addition, they will add extra cards for The Siege of Quebec campaign!
1775 - Rebellion is a fast and fun playing game in which teams of players cooperate to further either the American or British cause in the North American colonies. Players will be cheering their victories in battle, groaning as their own men run away, or begging their allies for help. Players command the British Redcoats, English Loyalists, American Regulars, or American Patriots, along with French Regulars, German Hessians, and Native American Tribes.
Players: 2-4
Ages: 10+
Average Paying Time: 1 - 1.5 hrs
Game Type: Area Control / Team Play
Designed by: Beau Beckett & Jeph Stahl
1775 - Rebellion is the second game in the Birth of America Series. The first game is the best selling 1812 - The Invasion of Canada.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 9/9/2012 6:05:26 PM
Columbia Games Announces Borodino 1812
Borodino 1812 Preorder (with mounted map)
DESIGNER: Carl Willner and Tom Dalgliesh
Borodino is entering production!
Borodino was fought between the Army of Imperial Russia and Napoleon's Grand Armee on September 7, 1812. The battle ended with a French victory, but strategic defeat. Losses were terrible on both sides, but the Russians could replace theirs. One week after the battle Napoleon occupied an undefended Moscow, hoping to impose a peace, but after four weeks was forced to retreat home with calamitous results.
The historical battle involved wave after wave of frontal attacks by both sides, focusing on the Russian redoubts. However, the game will show all the options available to Napoleon and Kutuzov, including some not attempted historically. The French player has several possible lines of attack and the Russian player must try to anticipate and counter them all. The tactical interaction of Napoleonic infantry, cavalry and artillery is also emphasized, including cavalry charges and squares. This makes for exciting and tense gaming.
Movement and combat are resolved within areas. The game plays using the fast-paced Move-Move-Battle sequence seen in Shiloh. Players activate leaders to command divisions of the same corps. Game time is 3-4 hours.
CONTENTS
120 wooden blocks
Labels
Mapboard
Rules
Orders of Battle
4 Dice
The Game can be ordered at Columbia Games Website with the link below:
http://www.columbiagames.com/cgi-bin/query/cfg/zoom.cfg?product_id=3212
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 9/9/2012 5:42:32 PM
Armored Knights North Afrika – Operation Crusader is released
Grognard Simulations is proud to announce that Armored Knights North Afrika – Operation Crusader is released.
Price for this game is $125. Those of you who purchased coupons for $25 will only need to pay $75 more, for a total price of just $100. This game system has been improved from Operation Gazelle and now includes Ground Attack from aircraft, and variable die roll modifiers in addition to the variable strength modifiers. Units are modeled at the Battalion and Company level. It also has a detailed command and supply system as part of the basic game. There is a heavy emphasis on combined arms. This will provide an unlimited re-playability since the same attack should never happen the same way twice. Scenarios include Sidi Rezegh, Dash to the Wire, Full Campaign, and some alternate histories where the Germans made their assault on Tobruk first and the British have some latitude in where the major attacking Brigades start the battle.
The follow on game, Operation Venezia, portrays the German attack on the Gazala line and the Fall of Tobruk. This game uses the same map as Crusader and has many more scenarios. The Germans are never again this powerful. Ownership of Crusader is required to play Venezia. Release due in November 2012.
The game includes:
(16) 11x17 Full Color Map Sections of the area between Gazala and the Egyptian Frontier
(6) Unit Counter Sheets with approximately 1200+ units and markers
Armored Knight North Afrika Rules Book
(4) Full Color Order of Battle Cards
(5) Scenarios including Sidi Rezegh, Dash to the Wire and Alternate Setup, Numerous Charts, Tables, and Examples
This game can be purchased at:
http://www.grognardsims.com/searchresults.asp?cat=33
Posted by: Mark D. on 8/20/2012 8:09:35 PM
The long wait is over: Lost Cities comes to the iPhone
FOR RELEASE ON AUGUST 23, 2012
Lost Cities by world-renowned board-game designer
Reiner Knizia takes you on a journey to discovered five mythical places. Designed and polished for the iPhone by
TheCodingMonkeys, makers of critically acclaimed
Carcassonne for iOS.
Lost Cities is a
card game played by two players. The objective of the game is to mount profitable expeditions to one or more of the five lost cities (the Himalayas, the Brazilian Rain Forest, the Desert Sands, the Ancient Volcanoes and Neptune's Realm).
Lost Cities for the iPhone allows you to play
online matches against Game Center friends or strangers. To communicate beyond international language barriers the game allows you to express how you feel about a move by sending emoticons. If you are in the mood for a challenge, you can match up against
four different computer opponents featuring distinct skill levels and play styles. Of course, there are also
Game Center Achievements to earn.
Lost Cities is an easy game to learn. To get you started there is a
comprehensive rules section and a
voice activated tutorial mode. In the tutorial you match up against Ms Lindenbrock, a jaunty young archaeologist. She will explain the game to you, while you are playing it, like a friend would.
Screenshots and other PR material available at:
http://codingmonkeys.de/lostcities/press.zipTheCodingMonkeys is an iOS and OS X software company based in Munich, Germany. They specialize in games and tools that are made with love and passion.
Reiner Knizia is a Doctor of Mathematics who has had over 500 games published worldwide and has won many international awards. He is famous for exciting games which offer freedom of choice with simple rules.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 7/17/2012 6:25:16 PM
Ragnar Brother's Angola Updated From Multi-Man Publishing!
Originally released in limited quantities by Ragnar Brothers of the UK, Angola quickly became a rare and highly sought after game of almost cult status. Angola recreates a brief portion of the violent, decades-long Angolan civil war that began in the 1970s with the fall of a colonial power and dragged its bloody way into the 21st century thanks in part to cold war politics. Angola is a multi-player game in which players control the various Soviet- and US-backed factions that vied for control of Angola from 1975 to 1976.
The game features a number of innovative systems that keep players guessing, create plenty of tension, and reward the right balance of boldness and caution. MMP has updated this classic with fabulous new graphics.
The map is divided into areas, and units represent military formations and also special weapons, such as artillery, rockets, tanks, and airplanes. A unique command and activation system has players committing in secret to the order in which they will activate a limited number of their units for the turn. The players then take turns activating their units in the determined order. The result is a tense game of bluff and misdirection as players try to analyze the map and out guess their enemies.
Angola is now available from Multi-Man Publishing.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 7/17/2012 6:11:19 PM
Battle of Fontenoy from Clash of Arms
The Battle of Fontenoy from Clash of Arms is their latest entry in the Battles from the Age of Reason series. New nationalities make their appearance including French, Dutch, Hanoverians, and English. Nine scenarios run the gamut from the historical battle, to attempts by the Allies to outflank the French. Others postulate might have beens such as what if the the French lacked fortifications. If you haven't experienced COA's Seven Years War sytem you can take advatage of the special introductory price of $64 (a savings of $16)
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 7/5/2012 7:39:33 PM
Grognard Simulations Announces Armored Knights and Incredible Courage at Elchingen
Grognard Simulations is getting its remaining 2012 and 2013 release schedules in order. You can view it at:
http://www.grognardsims.com/v/release-schedule.html
First is Armored Knights – Guderian Crosses the Desna 1941
This game pits General Guderian against an unnamed Russian Rifle Division in the attempt to get 2 bridges over the Desna during the drive south to encircle Kiev. The Germans have the 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions and must break into the town of Novgorod-Seversky late in the afternoon of 25 August 1941 and make a mad rush for the bridges. Their coup de main fails and they make a second, and more deliberate, attempt the next day. The Germans have to capture the bridges, intact, and setup a bridgehead on the east bank. This game will be an excellent introduction to the game system and provide a superb solitaire experience. It will also play fairly fast due to the low counter density and easy rule set. This is stand-alone game.
Projected price of the released game: $55.00
Pre-Order Coupon Price: $10, for a $20 Discount at release
The game features:
(4) 11x17 Map Sections, designed by Rick Barber
Approximately 1-2 Counter and Marker Sheets
Armored Knights rules structured along the Seven Battlefield Operating Systems
Variable Strengths and Die Roll Modifiers
Battalion (Armor and Infantry) and Company (Supporting Arms (AT, AA, ENG, RECON)) Level Units
Second is Incredible Courage at Elchingen
This battle is between Marshall Ney and his VIth Corps of the Grande Armee and General Reisch of the Austrian Army. In order for Napoleon to complete the surrounding of Mack’s Austrians in Ulm Napoleon decides to send Marshall Ney’s Coprs to the northern bank of the Danube. Ney must begin with a river crossing in the face of the Austrians and then move toward the twin towns of Ober and Unter Elchingen, which happen to sit on the side of a small, but significant, ridge. This game will be an excellent introduction to the game system and provide a superb solitaire experience. This is a stand-alone game.
Projected price of the released game: $65.00
Pre-Order Coupon Price: $12, for a $25 Discount at release
The game features:
(4) 11x17 Map Sections, designed by Rick Barber
Approximately 3 Counter and Marker Sheets
Incredible Courage Rules
Variable Strengths
An Excellent Command System based on Dispatch Riders
Units can be deployed as either Company/Squadron (Infantry/Cavalry) and Sections (Artillery), or Infantry Battalions
Posted by: Fred on 7/3/2012 7:39:17 PM
Ad Astra
This week we played the 4 player version of Ad Astra, a SF game designed by Bruno Faidutti and Serge Lagett and published by Fantasy Flight Games in 2009.
Think of it as Starfarers of Catan without the board. It’s a Euro resource management game in space. Players start with a spaceship in Earth orbit, a hand full of resources and knowledge of a half dozen nearby solar systems. Although, all they know about these systems is the type of star there and the fact that 5 planets of an unknown kind circle each.
The players then compete to build the biggest space empire, with Victory Points being given for colonies, factories, terraforming systems and multiple starships. But this competition is strictly in the Euro tradition as there are no dice for travel or combat and little direct player interactions. The competition is strictly of the accounting variety.
The game’s economic system consists of 6 different resources: power (electricity), little rocks (iron ore?), big rocks (mercury?), food, water and gold. In addition, each player gets a hand of about 10 general interest cards with two choices on each and a handful of resource cards. To build a colony players use three different resources, to terraform a planet they use four different resources etc.
Each full game turn consists of players placing three cards each from his general interest hand onto a chart in order to create a game turn of 12 rounds.
Once the game turn is created players may do whatever each card on the chart says to do once it is turned over. So, for example, if the first card says everyone generates gold, that’s what every player is allowed to do that round. If the next general interest card said everyone should consider traveling, players get permission to travel to or from the star systems mentioned on that particular card. If that is OK with them then they pay two energy cards and move to the solar systems in question. But they have to be careful about which destination they chose because once they get there they might not be able to get out as they’ll need more energy cards AND the permission of another travel card to leave. However, as in Starfarers, once they get to a solar system, only they are allowed to explore the planets there and to colonize the best one. But, as there are 5 planets in the system and 6 resources and the possibility of finding a planet full of ancient artifacts, players are taking somewhat of a risk exploring new systems. After all, they could end up stuck there and/or only find resources they don't really need.
Now, when a player thinks it’s time to start harvesting the victory points his empire has generated he places one of his scoring cards into the turn queue and allows everyone to count up the VPs for having starships or colonies etc. (whatever his scoring card mentioned). But other players may have placed other types of scoring cards with other VP scoring chances in the turn sequence also, so while you might surge ahead when counting up the planets visited, your competitor might pass you when the number of terraformed planets is scored. So victory goes to whoever expanded the most and whoever played the scoring cards the best.
However, while this all sounds like Starfarers, there is much less interactions than in the Catan game. First, the “general interest” card played controls the actions of all the players in a round. So if the card says “travel,” all the players either travel to or from the two solar systems mentioned on the card or they do nothing that round. Then again, if the card played says “trade,” only the controlling player gets to turn in 2 identical resources to the bank for one resource of his choice, all the other players either trade with him or once again sit out the round.
Now Ad Astra is a well produced and thoughtful game of its type but if I was in the mood to play a resource space game I’d go with Starfarers.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 7/3/2012 9:56:52 AM
Red Dragon Inn
I just played a game called Red Dragon Inn with my daughter and her boyfriend. It's premise is that you are an adventurer just returned from a quest and are at the local Inn regaling in your tales of adventure, getting drunk and gambling. Each character has a specialized card deck from which they play Action cards, Sometimes card (response card to other players Actions) and Anytime Cards in an attempt to get the other players drunk to the point of passing out ( not literally as explained below. This is not a "drinking" game.) Players have a starting amount of Gold which they can use to Gamble. Other cards make players lose Fortitude or force them to drink gaining Alcohol levels. You are out of the game if you lose all your Gold or your Alcohol level equals or surpasses your Fortitude. Although play may get a bit repetitive, it is a quick, tongue in cheek game that can be played by up to 6 players (with additional expansions) in under an hour
Posted by: Fred on 6/30/2012 10:50:23 PM
What's Fun?
James Dunnigan once said “movement equals fun.” I’d say “Interaction equals fun,” movement being just one way players interact.
For example, a typical Euro “multi-player solitaire” game starts with, say, 5 players and take, say, 90 minutes to complete. Without ANY interactions each player would be active only a fifth of the time. If he took say 50 percent longer to consider what he should be doing next, he’d only still be involved, say, 18 + 9 minutes or 27 minutes out of a 90 minute game. For the rest of the time he’d be little more than an observer. Sounds dull.
Now if the other players involve him in their turn by, say, attacking him, the game’s dead time shrinks. In two player games such as Go or Chess, there is, therefore, no real downtime. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Chess and Go have been around for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
Of course, if a Euro doesn’t have any way of “attacking” an opponent and allows 5 or 6 players to move sequentially we’ve got problems. In The Game of Thrones 6 player expansion version, for instance, while players may attack their opponents, it was decided to make it difficult to do it more than a few times an activation, which is fine in a 2 or 3 player game. But with 6 players this causes problems.
I’d, therefore, like to throw out a number of suggests to increase this version's interactions.
First, I’d look into cutting the number of players down to three, with players controlling factions 1 and 4, 2 and 5 and 3 and 6 from north to south, if possible. That way, whoever was moving would have to take the other players into consideration at all times. This should cut the downtime to a much more reasonable level.
Perhaps it might also help if each foot unit moved one space, each knight moved two spaces and each ship moved three spaces while transporting two foot or a knight (with those units given “defend” orders” not involved). The “move” orders could then be converted into “Campaign" orders. Something like the “Move Here” orders in Strike of the Eagle only with a plus one movement allowance (I.E., foot soldiers could travel two spaces etc.)
What's more, I’d consider having a player conduct all his movement and later all his combat.
Furthermore, I'd seriously think about combining the three voting tracks into one grand voting track, while keeping all the powers intact. This would shorten playing time. In addition, I’d have the Wildings come in fairly often, in fairly small numbers and - in order to balance the game - hitting the more powerful factions fairly frequently.
Perhaps we should also consider creating a separate reinforcement segment in order to increase the number of units on the board and so increase the likelihood of multiple simultaneous attacks occurring, which is critical with so many players.
In addition, we could ask that players who placed “support” orders on an army, move that army when giving support. This way, players would have to make tough choices on exactly who to support and when to support him. As the game now stands, one well positioned “support” army can “support” say four or five other armies without bothering to move. This requires no decisions, allows for no mistakes and produces no bluffing.
I’d also think about increasing the randomness of the cards in a player’s hand. Right now, everyone’s cards are public knowledge plus once a card is played its out of the game for a while. How about saying that after a battle the player gathers up all his cards and randomly discards the same number of cards he played in the battle? You’d know he has fewer cards, but which cards would be a question. As things are now everything is known to everyone, which results in battles sometime being sure thing fights.
In my opinion, the first edition - 6 player version - of The Game of Thrones has both too much randomness in the event cards and not enough randomness in a battle’s outcome.
I say, increase its movement, interactions and fun.
Posted by: Fred on 6/28/2012 6:07:40 PM
1812: The Invasion of Canada
We played 1812 again this week in our effort to find a way for the Americans to win. So far the tally is 0 American wins out of 12 games. Now we’ve had a lot of fun along the way and the Americans usually leave the game explaining how they maybe, could possibly have won if things had worked out somewhat differently. But it never does. This time the Americans were Harvey, Stu and Gary, the British were Barry, Ron, Bob and me. The Americans pledged to follow Uwe’s policy of holding back, building up slowly and crushing the British with spectacular card play in the last turn. Unfortunately the British have loads of advantages. We mentioned a good half dozen of the most important ones in our article, but there are at least another 4. So the Americans are always in a tough position. Now, I think an American victory is possible but it requires perfect play on their part, exceptional luck and an inexperienced British player. Anyway, the Americans started off by building a strong army in the west, far in the rear. They also decided to hold any good cards in their hand in order to make their late game forlorn hope charge as powerful as possible and they decided to play so as to maximized their first fire advantages.
As the British, we decided to call out a few of our more obscure advantages. We, therefore, played as many cards as possible in order to burn through our deck as fast as we could. After all, we wanted to control when the game ended and the Americans had already announced they were not going to play the maximum number of cards per turn.
We also decided to invade eastern New York hard and fast in order to force the Americans to march south to counter us, which made them waste movement activations first moving south and then moving back north to invade Canada. (If they never invade Canada they’ve got to lose. So we'll make it as expensive as possible for them.)
In addition, we attacked the Americans whenever we could at poor odds. That way we limited our losses but maximize the American’s flee results. (That is, we'd lose, say, one unit to fire and one unit to our fleeing, but we'd attack 5 or more Americans, so they'd lose one unit to fire and, say, 2 units or more to their own dice telling them to flee. We'd flee to the front-line, they'd flee out of the game for two turns. Overall they will lose more firepower then we do because they are risking more units then we are.)
Also as the American regulars move first in the game we were looking forward to move two, three, four, five or even six times in a row over the first and second turn. Well, we got to move three times in a row, which was more than enough to invade down the Hudson River and take their Albany muster area, which deprived them of a good half of their reinforcements each turn. In addition, we took it with some Native American troops, so we were able to teleport another reinforcement to Albany each turn the Native Americans activated and we held the place. (Another advantage of taking Albany is that their eastern defenses are now reduced to a one lung affair for the rest of the game, seeing that all their reinforcements must appear on the far western edge of the board.)
Anyway, if you noticed most of the British advantages we used this time weren’t even mentioned in our article. But they have so many that it isn’t even necessary to use them all each game. As usual, it was close and exciting, but I've got to point out that the British won again. The Americans were just too far behind to make up the difference in one turn. Now, they did organize a very powerful western army and they did invade Canada in the Far West and they did have an initial 3 to 1 advantage when they finally attacked, but we just whittled their army down to 5 surviving units one way or another, which left them with an army far to small to push on to a second victory point area. As we had multiple Victory Points areas in the U.S. we once again won on points. It was a fun game, but the totals are now 0-13 in the Brits favor.
Posted by: Fred on 6/27/2012 11:22:32 PM
The Game of Thrones
We just played The Game of Thrones at our club. It was only my second time playing but a few of the regulars had played it multiple times. We used the first edition with the 6 player expansion. Think of it as a combination of Strike of the Eagle with its hidden orders and Diplomacy due to its power politics and back stabbing. But Strike of the Eagle is approximately 15,000 times more exciting. Wow, was The Game of Thrones dull.
First it was way looooooong. We took about 6 hours for a 10 turn game and second it was slooooooow. Did I mention it was long? Every piece moved exactly ONE space*, except for fleets that not only bridge units, they can transport them at warp speed by handing off their passengers from one ship to the next in a Conga line without actually moving themselves. I guess they had mastered the art of transferring passengers from ship to ship on the open sea en masse. Boy, is that gamey.
The entire situation was MUCH too random. Muster did not occur at the end of every turn as is standard in these games; it came up when a card appeared, which was only every now and then. Usually then. And the hidden orders are limited in number and only one can be placed in each space, so things slowed down even further. For example, if the fighting is between two coalitions and you are positioned on the extreme edge of the map, it might take you and hour and a half of play just to get to the front line. What were they thinking?
Another problem they have is that the map is basically long and thin, so it naturally breaks down into a north vs. south contest every time. It’s the same problem The Sword of Rome has. While a game might be interesting the first time through, replay suffers due to the problem of re-creating two mobs fighting it out in a hallway. How different can each game be? And how interesting is it to be the guy in the middle?
Now most of these problems didn’t have to be this way. The game does have some interesting mechanics and I’ve heard that the second edition improves things. But really did anyone play-test this? Apparently no one noticed they had a 6 hour Euro, with limited re-play value. Harvey and Gary are thinking about publishing a variant in an effort to make this a workable game. Here’s hoping they succeed.
* That's the maximum movement allowed, not the minimum. As you only had 2 or 3 move orders anyway most units never got to move at all in any one turn. So allowing each unit to move one space would be an immense improvement! And remember, there were 6 players in the game and you are only next to one or two of them. So almost all your troops never move, nor do most enemy units near you and then you all sit around for another hour waiting for almost all the troops not to move again.
Posted by: Harvey Mossman on 6/22/2012 12:45:01 PM
Grognard Simulations announced the release of 2 games simultaneously
Grognard Simulations Releases:
Death Ride Salerno – Herman Goring/15th Panzer Grenadier and Incredible Courage at Austerlitz - Santon
Grognard Simulations announced the release of 2 games simultaneously.
Death Ride Salerno – Herman Goring/15th Panzer Grenadier is the final release (it is an expansion and 16th Panzer is required) to complete the Death Ride Salerno game set. This game focuses on the actions in the 46th UK Infantry Division area where the Herman Goring Panzer and 15th Panzer Grenadier Divisions fought for the control of the city of Salerno and the exits to the north and Naples. The game system features an uncomplicated rules set, 330 meters per hex, platoons and batteries for the Germans, platoons, companies, and batteries for the Allies, and 1 hour daylight turns. There is a high level of unit interaction with rules for Opportunity Fire, Overwatch, Reserves, and a combat system driven by suppression results. The game includes 4 scenarios that break this portion of the battle into 3 smaller parts and the campaign. Rules are structured to mirror the US Army’s 7 Battlefield Operating Systems of Command and Control, Maneuver, Fire Support, Intelligence, Combat Service Support, Air Defense, and Mobility and Survivability.
Incredible Courage at Austerlitz – Santon is the final release (it is an expansion and Telnitz is required) to complete the Incredible Courage at Austerlitz game set. This game focuses on the actions in the northern part of the battle between Marshall’s Lannes and Murat, and General Bagration and Lichtenstein. The game system features an uncomplicated rules set, 100 meters per hex, infantry companies, artillery sections, cavalry squadrons, and 10 minute turns. The game includes 3 scenarios that break this portion of the battle into 2 smaller parts and the campaign. There is a dearth of cavalry here and charges will be made by both sides in large quantity. If you’re looking for an uncomplicated set of detailed tactical Napoleonic rules, this is it. With units at company and squadron level supports are important in pressing assaults for success. You will be impressed by our Dispatch Rider driven command and control system, Captured Eagles corps morale system, and ease with which you can get into playing this game system. An added value item, included at no extra charge, is a set of Battalion level counters that minimize stacking and speed play.
Posted by: Fred on 6/21/2012 6:04:23 PM
1812: Invasion of Canada and 1775: Rebellion
Uwe Eickert of Academy Games called me the other day to discuss my request for replacement rules to Strike of the Eagle. Fortunately, I had found my errant copy a while ago. But we did get to discuss some of his upcoming plans. It seems Academy Games’ 1775 Rebellion game is now on its way to the printer and he’s hoping to have it for WBC. It sounds interesting and will includes a new mechanism, similar to the reinforcement mechanism in Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage, that allows players to generate reinforcements in cities they occupy if they also control the surrounding state.
As this is the second game in their “Birth of America” series we naturally went on to discuss their first attempt, 1812: The Invasion of Canada. I pointed out that we like the game quite a lot, but we are not really sure it was all that balanced (after 12 + attempts the score around here is 0-12 in favor of the British). It was Uwe’s opinion the Americans can win this game a reasonable portion of the time if they play their special cards exactly right. Although he also said that if people are still having problems they should let the Americans have 4 card hands.
I think Harvey and I will give both suggestions a try real soon.
Posted by: Fred on 6/7/2012 7:06:34 PM
Merchants and Marauders
At Origins, three of us tried Merchants and Marauders from Z-man games. It’s a Euro about pirates and merchants in a 17th century Caribbean. It’s really a combination of a railroad game, as you delivered various goods to various ports, a Space game, as you could upgrade your ship, a Quest game, as you could go on mini-adventures based on rumors and Junta, as you stashed your loot in a “Swiss” bank. There were also some cards, but it wasn’t a Card Driven Game.
I must say its production values were high, but there is just something about the typical Euro that annoys me no end. Here we have a top notch game in terms of production values and mechanisms and still it’s somewhat dull and repetitive. The game lasted 3 hours, as we continually did the same thing until one of us (Harvey) reached the magic 10 Victory Point total. I say “Magic” because there was no logical or rational reason to play to 10. Why not play to 6? It was a 3 hour Euro after all. And it wasn’t like the first turn was any different than the 15th turn anyway.
Now, there was a good game in there somewhere. But the designer or perhaps the developer seemed somewhat rushed. First, there was no player interaction. It was the typical Euro “multiplayer solitaire” approach to gaming. And, second, this was completely unnecessary. After all, they already had some interesting parts worked into the design.
For example, there were naval warships that “chased” the pirate/merchant around the Caribbean and then fought them to the death. But the system ran the warships! What was that about? The most exciting part of the game is given over to the AI? Why not have someone BE the Navy player? He could chase pirates for a living. Or why not have each player control two classes of ship: one warship and one merchant/pirate. Each player-turn would then be composed of a player moving his merchant/pirate AND his warship. That way the other players would have an interest in what happens when it isn’t their turn. Watch out! Here comes that British Navy pirate hunter!
Also, why have the mini-adventures always involve someone going to an island and finding something or other? Again, no player interaction and again, completely unnecessary. Why not have players hear a rumor that the King of England had just put a 2 VP price on the head of that notorious French pirate/merchant whose last known position happens to be the chair to your right?
Once again, we have a game with an awful lot going for it that just needed that something extra to make it to the top.
C +
Posted by: Fred on 5/29/2012 9:52:30 PM
Bar Lev: The Yom-Kippur War of 1973
Before going off to Origins we broke out Bar Lev: The Yom-Kippur War of 1973 by John Hill. This classic was published by Conflict Games back in 1974, practically before the shooting stopped. It’s an old favorite of our group but with so many new good games waiting to be played we really never get around to playing it as often as we’d wish.
This time I was the Syrians, John was the Egyptians and Mitch was the Israelis. Although this is a great two or four player game, we had no trouble playing with only three players. We used the “orange” map version – the first edition. Someday I’d like to write up a review/player’s aid for this great game but I’ve played it so infrequently that I don’t think I’d be comfortable opining, especially as the rules are somewhat vague. At least they are in my opinion. In fact, I don’t think I’ve played this game two times in a row using the same interpretations.
But whatever the case, this time, the Syrians did particularly well, although the Israelis reinforcement schedule did just that much better. It was close, but the Syrian morale limit is so low that it’s hard to make any progress before moral collapse kicks in. But I’d still like to give it another try soon. Perhaps this time I’ll play the Egyptians, on the Sinai front, which is an even tougher nut to crack. I guess it’s the lure of playing against the clock with a subpar army that keeps drawing me back.
Posted by: Fred on 5/27/2012 4:40:30 PM
Origins Game Fair
Well, this week we’re off to the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, Ohio. A bunch of us have been going to Origins since around 2000, although Harvey has been a regular almost from the beginning and I attended Origins 3 in 1977. It was held in Staten Island.
I remember walking on tarps spread over the Hunter College basketball court so we won’t ruin their hardwood floor. I stopped attending after that, mostly because Origins was then a travelling road show. But we started going again as a group 10 or 12 years ago and we’ve been regulars ever since. However, due to scheduling conflicts last year we had to take a pass. So we are now all looking forward to Columbus even more than usual.
If possible I’ll write up an Origins Report, like the one I did in 2010. At least this year they managed to get their online reservation system working. I guess that’s an example of “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” And again, and again, and again and again. I don’t know what we’ll do with all the extra time we’ll have if there are no screw ups to argue about on Wednesday.
Posted by: Fred on 5/21/2012 10:54:50 PM
Risk Legacy and Strat-O-Matic
This week we started off playing Risk Legacy, which is a strange, perhaps unique game. It was designed by the team of Rob Daviau and Chris Dupius, and published by Hasbro last year.
What makes this game unique is its ability to evolve before your eyes. As you play it your group actually develops your own version, with your own rules and your own features. Your game, in effect, will have basic rules, factions and special ability combinations that only you’ll be able to use. Your board will even look different than your friend's. It’s really Risk on steroids. So we poked around with it for a while and then decided to get a running start by playing a traditional game first, next week. We just felt that as one of the guys hadn’t played the basic game, he’d have been under too great a disadvantage if we jumped right in.
So, as we had already discussed steroids, we naturally broke out Strat-o-matic baseball. We’ve tried APBA but generally prefer Strat-O-Matic. ABPA just takes too general an approach to the game for some of us. For example, players add up the total defensive strength of their on-the-field team and use their total defensive abilities to see how a particular ground ball will be handled. Strat-O-matic produces much finer details.
This week, the ZTs opponents turned out to be that scrappy team “The Watsons,” as we were hosting the second half of a home-and-home series.
Unfortunately, we got cooked. You see, we had only drafted 18 players per team as that seemed to be more than enough. But, as those keeping score at home already know, The Baked Zitis lost Dan Murphy for 6 games last time. Unfortunately, the Zitis promptly opened the game by losing two more starters to injuries. (Believe me, I’m going to have a VERY strong talk with their trainer tomorrow.) That left me without a shortstop or a second baseman. I had drafted a utility infielder, a back-up catcher and a second-string 1st baseman, but that’s simply not enough when you lose three everyday infielders and one of them wasn't a catcher. Anyway, the league commissioner ruled I could call up a few Triple A players. Again, regrettably, there were some very good reasons why these guys were playing in Triple A. So the Z.T.s ended up losing the game 3 to 1. But, with all the turmoil involved I consider it a minor victory to have ended the game with 9 players on the field.
Right now, I haven't a clue how Z.T. will be able to handle our traditional rivals the The Flying Dump Trucks or even The Screaming Jellyfish, but that’s a problem for another day.
So next week we’ll give Risk, and then Risk Legacy, a try. I’ll also be passing out the rules to High and Tight. We might get back to Strat-O-Matic sometime in June.
Posted by: Fred on 5/19/2012 7:18:48 PM
At Neuve Chapelle
I just bought a copy of At Neuve Chapelle, a new hex-and-counter boardgame by Michael W. Kennedy. It’s being published by “White Dog Games,” a company I hadn’t heard of before Hermann Luttman mentioned he was one of their playtesters. Apparently, they are a Print-N-Play company that is expanding into boxed games.
At Neuve Chapelle covers the fighting that took place between the British 7th and 8th Divisions (with the Indian Lahore and Meerut Divisions) and various German units in March of 1915. It’s a tactical study with a digitally printed 22” by 17” map, 139 back-printed die-cut counters and 4 pages of rules. Artillery fire is included but the game does not involve Zones of Control. Combat is voluntary.
If I remember correctly, it cost me $38.00 and arrived within, say, a week of it being ordered.
As I’ve heard good things about it I’m putting it on my “soon to play” list. Of course, I’m also trying to get Washington’s Crossing played and Hell’s Highway finished. So we’ll see.
Posted by: Fred on 5/4/2012 10:02:56 PM
Hell's Highway Again
Hell’s Highway is a great Market-Garden game. First, it’s human size but big enough to allow team play. Then it’s detailed enough to give you the feel of the full operation without overwhelming you with rules (if you take your time and have some help). Although it is somewhat confusing to new players, so I’ve been writing up a series of player’s aid charts.
As it’s always helpful to tell people what you are going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them I’ll start by listing the charts here.
Aid #1: A rules outline. This is based on an old outline I last looked over in 2005 to help me make sense of the system.
Aid #2: Another old chart explaining the effects of Heavy Control and Light Control on units moving in either Combat Mode or Travel Mode.
Aid #3: A chart listing the pros and cons of attacking either Directly (via Close Assault) or Indirectly (via Mortars and Artillery).
Aid #4: A chart listing the various requirements and effects of attacking either Directly and Indirectly.
Aid #5: An aid to reading the main Terrain Effects Chart. This is really needed for new players, believe me. (This aid is just in the planning stage right now).
They should all be done in three or four days.
This is a B+ game. For those who are fascinated by Market-Garden and like team play, I’d say it’s even an A- game.
Posted by: Fred on 4/29/2012 6:20:06 PM
Hell's Highway
This week we’ve started a new game of Hell’s Highway, a simulation designed by John H. Butterfield for Victory Games back in 1983. I prefer it to its bigger cousin Highway to the Reich, if only because it produces a more manageable view of Operation Market-Garden.
For example, the last time we played Highway to the Reich it seemed to go on forever, as the 30 Corps commander had to move each of his 2,000 units into precisely the right position and in precisely the right order. That made it two games in a row that HttR had to be stopped prematurely due to a general consensus that life it to short to let the game go longer. Although we did get further than in our first attempt when we only managed to play 5 turns of a 100 turn campaign game in an entire afternoon. But to be entirely fair we did re-set the Arnhem section 3 times due to misunderstandings and we did argue about the EXACT meaning of the supply rules for airborne forces for over 2 hours. (At least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). HttR isn’t a bad game, it’s just that I’m opposed on general principles to playing something that takes longer to finish than what it’s simulating.
This time we are playing HH with 6 or 7 people. The Allies include Ron, who controls the 82nd, I’m controlling the 101st, Tom has the Red Devils and the Polish Brigade, while Bob has 30 Corps. Scott/Bill will control the northern Germans around Arnhem as a tag team and Harvey controls the southern Germans. Right now the German combat engineers have been especially efficient, having dropped just about every bridge possible. In addition, Colonel-General Harvey Von Mossman has launched a surprise assault on the 101st! Another trick like that and he’ll never be allowed to watch A Bridge to Far ever again. So while things are looking a bit dicey for the Screamin’ Eagles, it’s important to remember that it was called Hell’s Highway, and not the L.I.E., for a reason. Although in a few turns it will be hard to tell the difference.
Posted by: Fred on 4/24/2012 12:30:03 AM
Cold Wars and WBC
I just found out that the Cold Wars Miniatures Convention was able to draw 2,134 people, which is quite an achievement. The last HMGS convention, Fall-In was lucky if it drew 500. Of course, conventions count everyone who walks in the door, including dealers, wives and children, but any time attendance quadruples you must be doing something right. I kind of knew attendance was up as every table in their main hall was being used, while last time you could have started a bowling league in its back half. But there was some question as to why so many people showed up. The prevailing opinion being that Cold Wars had very little competition, seeing that HMGS's last convention was all but snowed out by the Nor-eastern last fall and their next convention, Historicon, is being moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia (that’s a 6 hour trip by car from Lawn Guyland, folks and it’s even harder to get there by plane). So, for the first time in memory, we’ll be taking a pass on Historicon this year, although WBC is on our schedule as always.
Posted by: Fred on 4/23/2012 11:03:49 PM
Strat-O-Matic Baseball
This week we played Strat-0-Matic Baseball. (Click Here) It’s a very old-school (1962) paper baseball simulation, originally designed by Hal Richman. But we are using its 2009 edition, with 2011 player’s statistics.
I’m managing two teams myself in our league: Z.T. and Meatballs. Although it’s my sad duty to report the Spicy Meatballs have gotten off to a slow start and the Z.T.s have begun the season in even worse shape. But what can you expect from a die-hard Mets fan? In fact, it’s been so bad for the Baked Zitis that it’s been said (though not by me) that their fans aren’t even up to doing a decent wave. All they’ve accomplished so far this season is a micro-wave. (And who said puns are the lowest form of humor?)
Anyway, Strat-O-Matic is a remarkable game. Just about every aspect of baseball can be simulated, in detail, including your pitcher getting tired and having a salary cap on your team. It took us about 3 hours to draft 2 teams each. I went for Batting Average, Power and Fielding for my regulars and ERA/Homers Allowed for my pitching staff. Each of my staffs have a 100 point starter and a 80 point reliever. (Out of an 850 point team cap). So I may have over concentrating on pitching. But as Yogi said, "90 percent of baseball is half pitching."
Our league has 8 teams and we've been able to get each manager to play two games a night. The only thing missing is the human element. For example, you might have a decent enough starter with, say, a 2.5 ERA getting hammered in the first inning, but no matter how bad his initial outing, he never becomes shakened. If he’s a decent pitcher, he’s consistently good no matter what happened to him last inning. Unfortunately, players do get injured. Tell me about it. I spent 100 points getting Dan Murphy and in his 3rd game he got himself injured sliding into second. So my best hitter is out for 6 games. Otherwise things are going great. Bad but great, if you know what I mean.
If you like baseball this is a B+ game, maybe higher. If you don’t, don’t even give it a look.
In the next couple of weeks we are going to give APBA Baseball a try also, and with the same teams we drafted this time. It should be interesting to see which system creates a better experience.
(Click Here)